More news about my back (ugh)

[dolfan]

Just don't read this if you hate hearing about someone else's health problems.

Okay, I'll be brief. I mentioned here awhile back that I was having some pains in the upper back, right shoulder, arm, etc. Well, the results are in .... I have a herniated disk at C6-C7. There's some nerve damage, but the extent or permanency is unknown. Right now, I can hardly push off anything with my right arm because the tricep is just like a rag. The pain isn't much, but the arm weakness is a real drag.

The neurosurgeon, of course, wants to go right into my neck and remove the disk and replace it with some metal and plastic thingies, put me in a neck brace for about a month or six weeks, and still no guarantees that my arm will ever regain strength. And, he's not exactly sure if it will get worse if I do nothing, although he says emphatically that it might.

I'm very against surgery at this point. If the arm maintains its current strength, I can live a happy life without trying to do one-armed pushups, but it probably means I won't be playing basketball or doing many other things I'd still like to be able to do even if I don't do them. The pain is not so bad that I can't stand it; these days, its an annoyance more than anything else. And, if it gets bad, those steroid meds have been pretty good about keeping inflammation down.

So, anyone here had any similar problems? Any thoughts??? I'll tell you, without someone somewhere doing some heavy convincing, I'm not letting them do surgery.

[TW]

As someone that has broken their back in three places I can relate. If your neurosurgeon has not talked with you about options other than surgery you need to find another neurologist. When dealing with the spine, surgery should always be the last option. Your injury will cause certain changes in your life style, but that will happen independent of any surgery. I have never witnessed anyone getting anything other than short term relief from pain (2 to 3 years max.). You will adjust to a certain pain level, that will become your norm, and as such will be acceptable. As you age your treatment will probably become more and more "adventurous" to maintain a fairly stable lifestyle. Why would you want to start treatment at the high end of the options list? In a case like this pain is actually our friend. When you feel an unusually high level of pain, it's telling you that you are doing something that you shouldn't be doing. With all my health problems I am fortunate that none of my doctors are "knife happy." They all look to see if there aren't treatments available that do not involve surgery.


TW

[one love]

Just don't read this if you hate hearing about someone else's health problems.

Okay, I'll be brief. I mentioned here awhile back that I was having some pains in the upper back, right shoulder, arm, etc. Well, the results are in .... I have a herniated disk at C6-C7. There's some nerve damage, but the extent or permanency is unknown. Right now, I can hardly push off anything with my right arm because the tricep is just like a rag. The pain isn't much, but the arm weakness is a real drag.

The neurosurgeon, of course, wants to go right into my neck and remove the disk and replace it with some metal and plastic thingies, put me in a neck brace for about a month or six weeks, and still no guarantees that my arm will ever regain strength. And, he's not exactly sure if it will get worse if I do nothing, although he says emphatically that it might.

I'm very against surgery at this point. If the arm maintains its current strength, I can live a happy life without trying to do one-armed pushups, but it probably means I won't be playing basketball or doing many other things I'd still like to be able to do even if I don't do them. The pain is not so bad that I can't stand it; these days, its an annoyance more than anything else. And, if it gets bad, those steroid meds have been pretty good about keeping inflammation down.

So, anyone here had any similar problems? Any thoughts??? I'll tell you, without someone somewhere doing some heavy convincing, I'm not letting them do surgery.

Dolfan you are exp. some of what if go through. I have almost NO disc left in my neck, bone spurs (stenosis) on and on....

My pain level was really bad , I could not take it any longer and had surgery. They removed a disc, replaced it with a bone fragment, then the steel plate. I GOT WORSE, the shooting pains, burning in my shoulder/arm etc.

I went to many specialist and neurologist. One of the best known Neurologist in VA explained many things to me. The rule of thumb is if you can live with it, DO NOT HAVE SURGERY. It is a LAST resort.

It is a gamble. Many do well after surgery but MANY get worse. I have heard 50% get a lot better. He told me 75% of spinal surgeries still have pain or more pain.

Steroids really do help when it is inflamed.

Note: I know a few people surgery helped, but I know MANY that got worse. If you are not in severe pain, I cant stress enough to NOT do it. If the pain gets worse have a steroid injection, nerve block, trigger point injections. DO those before surgery.


Also I have had surgery and I still should not lift more then 15 lbs, I am in constant pain. Of course some docs want me to have some other surgery...NO WAY
All my disc are messed up in my neck, Bone spurs (stenosis) Spondylosis, degenerative disc..

[Susie Hamilton]

I have had C4 and C5 problems for years. I see a chiropractor regularly. It helps. I also had a lower back injury, L5-S1, on the job about 13 years ago and the Chiro helps with that as well. I do have a small-mod amount of pain but have learned to adjust to it. It does tell me what I can and cannot do as well as when I need to see the chiro again. I will not have surgery. Chiropractic, shots, massage, hot baths are my best friends.

[Tim Elston]

Any thoughts??? I'll tell you, without someone somewhere doing some heavy convincing, I'm not letting them do surgery.

I've always kind of liked the idea of getting new parts when old ones go bad. Some of the new disc replacement technologies look promising. Since there is risk involved, though, I like your idea of waiting until the risk outweighs the pain. I'm sorry you're having to go through that, Tim.

[dolfan]

My biggest concern is the weakness in my right arm. I don't know what to expect if I do nothing, or if I do some physical therapy, or if I do something else altogether. What I do know is that if it doesn't get worse, then I'll adjust easily enough; in fact, I have already. I wave like John McCain with that arm, but if I put my leg into it, I can get enough leverage to get under something going straight up that isn't too heavy. So far, the biggest challenge is working in our store each night when I'm moving drink cases around inside the cooler. Other than that, it is now just a limitation of movement with little real pain. Except the pain in the rear end of having that in the first place.

My plan is to consult with my health insurer and get them to give me a list of neuro guys that they'll pay to get a second opinion from. The guy yesterday was just in such a rush to get me to commit. Hey, I know this is about the bottom line. My medical needs are down the list compared to his need for revenue. That's true for all. So, I'm going to get a second opinion, and unless it reveals to me that I am likely going to do severe nerve damage to make my right arm worse (the one thing that might actually get me to do the surgery), I'm settling in.

Thanks for your advice and telling me your stories, and your concerns!!!!

[oletimer]

Dolfan, many years a go when I was doing floor covering, I was doing a Doctor"s house and while we were talking about my back, he told me to laid on my back and ease my legs back over my body. He said that this would help in aliening my back bones and strenthen my back muscles. The stronger the muscles, the better they support the back bones. May be too late for you and others, but has helped me over the years.

[TonyT]

I, too, had this same problem. I lived with it as it got worse and worse, trying everything else until it looked like surgery was my only option. On a scale of 1-10, the pain was always 4-6, and more like 7-8 by the end of the day in the last 2-3 months just prior to my surgery. I rarely had any excruciating pain (only when I sneezed) but I couldn't get away from some pain all the time. I lost most of the strength in one arm, but the worst thing was not being able to sleep.

I eventually had the surgery you described, and it was like night and day. I was blessed to be one of the success stories. I did not use the morphine pump at all (had it removed 2 hours after the surgery). I never used the collar. After one week, I took a road trip from Virginia to Atlanta and went back to work after a total of 2 weeks. In another week I was playing tennis. The worst part of the recovery was swallowing - the way they go in through the front of your neck with both hands and a Craftsmen 1/2" drill, shoving everything in your throat to one side to make room to work, makes eating or drinking anything in the next 10 days something to be dreaded.

I have not had any more problems in three years. Sometimes, when the weather is changing for the worse, I ache some, but not bad.

I know I was blessed with such a good experience. There were 4 other people at work that had this surgery and they were out of work at least 4 weeks (the longest was 6 weeks).

[Kenya]

I've had this surgery twice. First in the C-5, C-6 area about 10 years ago. Most recently in the C-6, C-7 area almost two years ago. Both times were disc fusion with a metal plate inserted in my neck. I would NOT do surgery again. The first surgery helped for several years but this second surgery has not helped long at all. Since the last surgery, I have significant bone spurs and scar tissue, not to mention arthritis. The only thing that has really shown a significant help to the weakness you have described is a really good physical therapist and traction therapy (not the home kind either). I've pretty much just had to adjust my life to work around the pain. It stinks.

[dolfan]

I was talking with one of the court reporters today at the courthouse and he told me he had the same problem as me. He didn't get the surgery, but he's been getting acupuncture. He says he can live with it as it is, and he has almost all of his arm strength back after several months. This is guy is in his 60's. So, I may check with my insurer and give that a shot, too. (No pun intended).

[Susie Hamilton]

Good luck with that. I have heard a lot of good stuff about acpuncture. I might even try it. Let me know how it goes.